blurred reality
by explicitanduncensored
Summary: (au,changes to series,read details inside, repost) For the better part of 16 years, Sydney's lived her life in a sort of alternate and blurred reality.. When the new killing spree hits Woodsboro, where she's been living and raising a teenage daughter, Scarlette, (ofc x charlie walker), will she snap out of it before it's too late? or will her blurred reality become a horrific one?
1. Chapter 1

~DISCLAIMERS & STUFF~

I. I do not own the Scream movie series, nor do I own any established characters within said movie series. I only own my original characters and any changes to the plot that I may or may not make.

II. If you don't like people returning from the dead (or never having died in the first place) it's not recommended you read this. Nor if you don't like canon x oc pairings, because I fully intend on having my original character, Sydney's daughter, paired with Charlie.

III. This will most likely ignore all previous sequels. It's alterverse, so some things, naturally won't have happened, (Randy & Billy's deaths being the biggest things, as well as some changes to the history of the series..)

IV. If you like it, leave a review. If you don't, then I'm sorry. This is a rewrite of the **first** story I had posted on my profile. It made no sense whatsoever to have Tatum be a major player, though I did love her with Stu.

V. Pairings for this are: Billy x Sydney, Charlie x Oc, Jill x Kirby slash x Robbie.. Those are the major players.

IMPORTANT SHIT BELOW, PLEASE READ

**_* Sydney never left Woodsboro.. She raised her teenage daughter in the town she grew up in, and she's struggled to do it, due to PTSD and having to raise her daughter to believe a lie.. She's married to Randy Meeks, who never died, because in this version, the killings are strictly about Sydney and all the SECRETS in her life, past and present. Anyone can be Ghostface, but I'll give a spoiler here, and say that two are the same as they were in the previous rewrite of this story.._**

~ YOU THINK YOU KNOW IT ALL.. BUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA~

_What if..._

_You spent the last 16+ years grappling with the horror of having to kill someone you loved and only realized just how much, after you killed them, while raising your child together, completely alone? _

_What If..._

_To keep your daughter safe, keep her from the stigma attached to her real father, how he died, you told your teenage daughter one lie after another._

_What if.._

_You don't even know what the truth is, because everything that happened that night happened so fast that you never fully processed it, and you've buried the **truth** for almost 17 years?_

_What if.._

_When you finally learn the truth, the one person you've almost died several times trying to protect is in serious and grave danger because you mistakenly mislead them their entire lives and the danger is right **under your nose**?_


	2. Chapter 2

~CHAPTER 1~

_REQUIEM FOR A NIGHTMARE  
_

_It was a typical lazy summer afternoon in the Meeks - Prescott house, really.. Sydney and Scarlett were at home while Randy was out of town, attending a conference on behalf of the local high school, where he taught English._

_At least, it was a normal summer afternoon until Sydney got the package and letter in the daily mail. It didn't have a postmark, didn't have a sender address or name even, all one of the paper said was 'WAKE UP' in oddly shapen magazine cutouts. The package itself was a dvd, and the person talking on the thing claimed to know the 'truth' about the last night Sydney saw Scarlette's father alive.. And it went on to say farther, that the man was still alive, and that whether she liked it or not, the truth was about to come out and her life as she knew it? Well, it was about to come to a gritty and screeching halt.._

_She quickly called Dewey Riley and he rushed over, taking the box and the note (at least the one they KNEW about at that point in time) into evidence. And around 5 in the afternoon, they found the body of 14 year old Casey Raines floating face down in the creek behind Sydney's mother's old house._

_The events that followed, well.. I won't tell you right now, I'll merely let you read them instead.._

_o.0.o_

"Mom, seriously? You're sitting closer to the door, can't you answer it? I'm kinda watching Austin Aries right now." came the disgruntled cry of Sydney's teenage daughter, Scarlette Prescott-Meeks as Sydney dared to poke her head into the den and tell her that the doorbell had been ringing for the better part of fifteen minutes now, and she couldn't turn away from the stove because the marinara was at the most crucial point in it's simmering.

Scarlette stood and brushed off chip crumbs, hitting pause on the remote, she was recording TNA right now, so she could rewatch it later if she had to do something in the middle of it, the way her mother had 'spells' at times, she never knew when something would trigger her mother's condition, PTSD.. She slunk the few steps to the door and flung it open, calling out over her shoulder, "Hey Ma! Were you expecting a package?"

Sydney raised a brow, then a smile filled her face. Randy liked to send her surprises when he was on trips, like he was right now. "Open it.. Maybe it's something for us from dad." Sydney said as she shut off the stove, walked into the den and flopped on the couch.

Scarlette tore into the package, scowling when the packing bits and the packing paper hit the floor and all that were inside the package were two letters and a dvd.. While her mother was reading the note, going pale, Scarlette slid the other letter, addressed to her, into her pocket.

This left the two brunette females with only the dvd and they eyed it warily, before Scarlette slid a grape into her mouth and said "Well then.. Let's see what the old man's up to, huh?"

"R-right." Sydney said at this point trying desperately to keep calm so that her daughter didn't sense something was awry right now.

They pressed play, and the dvd showed a shadowy male figure, the man was obviously staying out of the camera's direct exposure for a reason.. And when he started to talk, they figured out why..

Apparently, someone knew something that Sydney didn't want getting out. And apparently, whether Sydney liked it or not, the truth was going to come out. The dvd finished and Scarlette (wearing an expression much like her real father, Billy Loomis) began to crow in laughter as she said calmly, "Ma.. Relax.. It's a joke, it's gotta be, right?"

Sydney nodded and then said quietly, "Mom's not.. She's not feeling so good right now.. I'm gonna go lie down."

As she walked up the stairs, Scarlette groaned, her hand going to her face in dismay as she grumbled, "God damn it.. Just when I think she'll be okay again, some sick fucker has to pull this crap.. But why'd they drag me into it? Why'd they keep insisting I needed to know the truth too? And what the hell did the guy mean by "Daddy's coming home..."

She shrugged as she walked into the kitchen, tore open the letter that'd had her name on it, and after making a pastrami sandwich, she grabbed a soda, hopped onto the kitchen island's marble counter top to read it..

_Scar.._

_I hate doing this, pixie.. I really, really hate this, more than you will ever know.. But see, your ma.. She's sick.. She's really, really sick and she doesn't remember things exactly as they really happened that night.. And with only her word to go on, well.. Somewhere along the lines, I got made into a monster.._

_What's the worst about all this is that she's living with the monster and she's too messed up to realize it. I can't go into detail, I refuse to be the one who does that to you, given you grew up enough without me, but I've been watching you grow, pixie and.. _

_Dad's gotta say, he's impressed. You're strong, you're probably every bit the smartass I was at that age, and the most important thing.. You've done a damn good job taking care of her for me.._

_But now you're both in really, really huge danger, so you're gonna have to call on that fire and that survival instinct, pixie. I know you got it, I've seen it through the years when I got a chance to sneak around, watch ya._

_Oh yeah.. And no dating until you're 50.. And stay the hell away from that Trevor guy, I know you're reading this right now, you're wondering how the hell I know about him.. The kid's bad news, pixie, drop him now. Some things are about to start happening and I wish I could tell you how I know this or see you face to face, but for now, it's best I stay a ghost._

_Your mother knows what I'm talking about, but if she had an episode after she watched the DVD, it's best you don't ask her.. For kicks, why don't ya ask that jackass Meeks who Billy Loomis is, and PAY ATTENTION TO HIS REACTION, PIXIE._

_Hell... Watch him like a hawk if it's possible.. I just have a bad, bad feeling about that guy.._

_If you're guessing by now, and I know you are, you're that damn smart, pixie, you've figured out two things so far.. One, your mother lied to you about who your real father is, and two, your real father, well.. He's me.. And soon enough, hopefully before this all gets out of hand, Dad's gonna promise to do everything he can to stop this sick son of a.._

_Anyway, I'm rambling. Your mom probably called that moron on the force, Riley, so if you're smart, pixie.. Go hide this letter where you hide your cigarettes and lighter.._

_And about that.. When this is all over, we're having a serious talk about your smoking habit._

_Love.._

_Your real father._

_PS.. When that jerk your ma's married to tries to tell you that I was nothin but a bad guy, and I hurt her, just remember.. There are two sides to every story.. You grew up hearing theirs.. I hope when I finally get to meet you, you let me tell you mine._

Right as her godfather, Dewey Riley knocked on the door to the den, she was coming back down the stairs, her mind racing a million miles a minute.. She knew now that maybe everything her mother had told her about her life and who her father really was was a lie, and according to her real father, the man who'd written her the letter, the man she suspected to be notorious killer Billy Loomis, that when the truth started to come out this time, nobody was safe.

But what'd he keep insisting the truth was right under her mother's nose for? That was the one thing that didn't make any sense.

Officer Riley studied her intently and peered over her head into the foyer behind her.. "Your mother called me?"

"She's umm.. She's taking a nap, Officer.. I'm guessing she wanted you to take a look at these things.. Some person sent 'em earlier, no address, no sender name.. We watched the dvd, sorry." Scarlette said as she bit her lower lip and looked at her godfather..

She'd been about to tell him about her letter, but for some reason, she said nothing just yet.. She'd show her cousin later, Jill might be able to tell her what it might mean.

Or at least help her find someone who could give her the answers she wanted.

"Okay.. She's okay, though, right?"

"Yes sir, she just had an episode, few hours, she'll be golden again. I think I can keep out of trouble for a few hours, sir." Scarlette said as she bit her lower lip, raised a brow at the squad car that came flying down the street with the red and blue lights on, sirens going..

"Somebody actually breaks a law here?" she joked as Dewey ruffled her hair and then said with a shrug, "Don't know.. But since I'm chief of police, I should probably go follow that car."

"You probably should. I'm gonna go in and finish my pay per view."

"And you didn't see who left this?"

"No sir.. Austin Aries and his beautiful self distracted me. Sorry."

Dewey laughed and then said "You are something else, kid. Go back inside. Behave.. And no sneaking out tonight."

Scarlette pretended to pout, and then shut the door, flopping back onto the couch.. As if she'd leave her mother alone now after her having had an episode when she got that package.  
She pouted as she took out her cell phone and texted Trevor "2nite is off.. Mom is sick again.. Sorry babe."

She felt a moments guilt for doing this, with Jill's boyfriend, behind Jill's back, but what she didn't realize is that Jill, thanks to Kirby, was just now finding out..

The air of tension hung heavy over Woodsboro, and that night on the 8 pm news, Scarlette found out where the squad car went earlier and she groaned as she muttered, "Fuck my life.. Fuck it all.. And now, the shit is going to hit the fan. They found a mask so naturally, the killer's back. I cannot wait to graduate and get the hell out of this shit town. I wanna go somewhere where nobody's ever heard of Ghostface or the Woodsboro murders."

Across town, Jill was pacing, furious.. She glanced at Kirby and then growled, "This just made things a lot more fun for me.."

"Oh me too."

"We save those two for last and let them watch each other die."

"Definitely. I can't believe Trevor turned to her, turned his back on us.. And why the hell is she even doing him? I mean I thought she was so in love with Charlie Walker.. She follows him around all the time."

"It's pathetic."

"It really is."

The news caught their attention and they watched with wide eyes and looked at one another mouthing, "Oh shit.. This is not good.. Somebody's going to steal our thunder."

"No, no they're not. We're going to do this."

"Yes, we really are."

All of the dominos were falling, would they be stopped or would it be the end of the line for a few people?


	3. Chapter 3

~CHAPTER 1 PART DEUX~

_REQUIEM FOR A NIGHTMARE , CONTINUED  
_

_o.0.o_

_The man slid the mask down over his head as he felt around, making sure he had the knife on his person.. There was only one thought on his mind, currently, and that was not being caught, not being found out. He just had this panicked feeling that all of the walls were going to close in on him and his partner in crime this time, and it wasn't going to go well._

_He slipped inside the house and lie in wait while the two teenage girls walked around the house, talking loudly, watching a horror movie, completely and blissfully oblivious to his existance.. He wasn't planning on killing the two of them, but he just couldn't fight the urge anymore, it was so overwhelming that the transient kids in other towns, other states even, well, they just weren't cutting it for him._

_He reminded himself again that after this last hoorah, he was done, he was going to be a good man, not the monster that lurked unsuspectingly right beneath his quiet exterior. He was going to stop this killing, he was going to do whatever it took to end this poison inside of him._

_Even if it meant killing his vengeful and silent partner to do that very thing. This man, like himself, wanted a release and he wanted revenge against Sydney for some unknown reason. He'd never actually met the guy face to face, but soon that would change, because after this?_

_He was going to call the guy and tell him he was out, he couldn't do this anymore, he wouldn't do this anymore.. He had his own teenage daughter and he wasn't even able to look her in the eyes lately, because of this.  
_

_And if he had to kill the guy to stop the guy's plan against someone he loved more than anything, would die to protect and their daughter? He'd gladly pay that price. He knew he was in over his head, he knew he needed help and according to the mysterious package he'd gotten earlier this week, he was about to be revealed for the twisted and sick murdering monster he really was._

_He couldn't risk it._

_He either had to kill the person with the blackmail, or he had to kill his silent partner. Given what he'd deduced about his silent partner, he was more willing to kill the guy he was working in this with than he was to kill the blackmailers. Because if the blackmailers were who he thought they were, they deserved a chance to clear their names and have normal lives._

_And in some ways, he was doing that for his daughter also._

_As soon as he got a clear path to do what he needed, he sprung into attack, taking down the brunette easily, slicing her up, her blood coating the patio floor, her guts trickling out slowly, the scent of death heavy in the air.. He took the phone from her hands and made the call to the blonde inside, making sure the voice app was operational._

_Marney looked at the phone, almost doubled over in laughter.. At least until she stepped in the guts and blood puddle half in and half out of the patio's sliding French doors. The scream died on her mouth as the knife's gleaming silver blades sliced downward, carving her up so that she was almost virtually unrecognizable._

_The man raised the mask and took a few deep breaths as he shut the camcorder, and turned it off. "This was.. It was the last time.. The last time, damn it.. SHUT UP IN THERE!" he screamed as he clutched his head, kneeled on the floor, trailing a finger through the crimson stickiness of the blood and looking at it in shock and horror._

_Why did he have to do this? Why couldn't what he had be enough for him? Why did the past have to come back to bite him now when his present and future were going so damn well?_

_He sighed in defeat, his shoulders slumped and he made his way out into the night._

_o.0.o_

"Hey, Teacher.. Leave those kids alone." Scarlette shouted along with her radio as she danced around her room, singing into a hairbrush. Her mother had been having episodes sporadically every night this week, and she'd been pretty much keeping herself available, which meant no life, basically.. Tonight she could have been at a sleepover she'd been invited to, with Marney and another girl, but she'd opted to stay home and look after her mom instead, when her 'father' Randy's plane was late and he was stuck in an airport almost 4 states away due to bad weather.

The knock on her window had her clutching her heart as she slid it open and asked Trevor, "Are you fuckin insane? What if my godfather drives by to check on this place and sees your car? Or worse, what if my mom wakes up and she comes down here to check on me and finds you here?"

"I had to see you."

"No, what ya meant is you wanted to make sure I wasn't going to run and tell Jill what we're doing behind her back.. Trevor, look.. I'm not an idiot okay, so just hear me out.. I overheard you with those damn douchebags on your wrestling team after practice today.. You're only with me because Jill wouldn't give it up? You got tired of waiting?"

"That's.. It's not true, babe. I swear to God it's not true."

"Bullshit, Trevor. I'm calling bullshit. I should have listened to my gut about you.. Noooo.. I had to get pissed that Charlie Walker is still hung up on Kirby Reed and go off, sleep with you. Look, you got what you wanted so we're done. Now get out."

"You don't mean that."

"Oh, but see, Trevor? I do. It's bad enough you made me hurt my cousin doing what I did. It's bad enough I let my guard down and let you get close to me and now I find out it was a mistake, that you're exactly what everyone said you were? You disgust me. I disgust myself. We're done."

He grabbed her wrist, applying pressure as he glared at her angrily, shoved her down on the bed. "We're not done until I say so, Scar.. You don't get to just fuck me and walk away when you're bored."

She'd been about to kick him in the balls, get him off the top of her, but he slumped forward and she groaned, then went pale as she looked up to see the very last person she'd have ever suspected to be there, standing there.

Her real father, Billy Loomis.

"I told you, pixie.. The guy's no good." Billy said calmly as he kicked at the kid lying in front of him on the floor and hissed, "If you're smart, kid? You'll get your fucking ass out of my daughters room. NOW."

Trevor paled, stammered and stuttered then took off. Before he did, Billy grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back and said quietly, "Oh and if you tell? I just might snap again, kid."

"I-I.. I won't say a word. Let me go, please?" Trevor muttered as he groaned, realizing he'd literally just had the piss scared out of himself. He shot Scarlette a dirty look and made a hasty retreat through the partially open window.

Billy shut the window and paced a moment as he said "I took a huge risk coming here tonight, Scar.. But I wanted to do something, pixie. I'm gonna give you something and I want you to hide it. Do not use it unless you have to, okay?"

"D-dad? What are you talking about?"

Billy shoved a USB drive into her hand, and then a gun. "Meet me at the field behind your grandma's old place, I'll teach ya how to shoot it. Just in case."

"What's going on?"

"That son of a bitch killed again before I could stop him, I think he's on to me still bein alive, it wouldn't surprise me if the sick and spineless bastard came after you and ya mom to draw me out, pin all this shit on me."

"What do you mean?"

"It's starting again, pixie." Billy said as he hugged his daughter and then said "Just be careful.. For some reason, I have the feeling there's one too many cooks in the kitchen this time too.. You can't tell who's a good guy and who's a bad one anymore."

"But you're not doing it.. Right dad?" Scarlette asked with her hand in her hair as she studied him intently.. If he were doing it, she just had this feeling that she'd know it.. She could look at him and tell that years of running, years of hiding, years of the stigma attached to what he'd supposedly done back then were catching up to the man standing in front of her, despite his still having a slightly youthful appearance.

Billy hugged his daughter tightly and looked around her room, smirked. "Yeah.. Ya took after me in a lot of ways, Pixie.. Maybe when this is all over, and we're all okay, the truth is finally out.. We'll get to be a normal father and daughter, huh?"

She bit her lip, unsure how to answer that but knowing almost by instinct that her father was not one of the bad guys, not this time. This whole thing, apparently, was bigger than she originally thought.

He left and she sat down, bit her lip and called her cousin Jill.

Jill looked at her ringing phone and said "The hell? I know she's not calling me, the little slut."

"Ooh.. This should be interesting." Kirby said as she sat up in bed, propping on her elbows, the sheet falling away from her bare chest.

"It should. Ya know, I've got a right mind to stop screwing around and just kill this little bitch already. But I can't, it'd somehow wind up coming right back to me."

"Relax, baby.. SOon enough we'll be able to kill her.. And Trevor. And Charlie. Everyone who screwed us over will pay." Kirby reassured her brunette lover as Jill leaned across the bed, kissed her.

"Jill?"

"What?"

"Look.. I know you've figured out what's been going on.. I wanted to call and say I ended it with Trevor.. And hey.. If it makes you feel better, he was using me too. You were right, I never should have made a play for him or even thought about it, in the first place.. I just wish.."

Jill bit her lip and sighing, made herself say, "It's okay, Scar. Look, you're younger than me, Trevor, he's a charming guy.. You had no idea he was using you.. Just like I didn't when he used and dumped me."

"The hell? HE told me you two never.."

"Oh, but we did.. That's why he dumped me."

"That little son of a bitch."

"Either way, Scar.. It's okay.. Everyone makes mistakes." Jill forced herself to say while adding mentally, _'yours is gonna cost you your life though'_ before hanging up, turning to Kirby and asking with a sexy smirk as she leaned over her lover, trailing her fingers slowly downward and over Kirby's collarbone, "Where were we anyway?"

"Oh, I think you're getting real close, babe." Kirby muttered as she bit her lower lip, groaned at her girlfriend's roaming hands and thought to herself, _'Any closer and I could stab you in the back with a damn good knife you annoying, whiny little bitch.' _and rolled her eyes, while trying to pretend to be getting off.

So far, in this new game, everything was blurry, it was hard to tell good from bad, and before things got any farther, it was going to get a lot messier.

Outside Jill's window, Robbie Mercer gaped at the two young females literally going to town on one anothers body with their hands and mouths. He smirked as he hit record on his camcorder..

"This could be the beginning of a beautiful partnership, if these two ladies cooperate with my vision." he muttered before climbing down the fire escape, running two houses down to his own house.

Meanwhile, across town, Charlie was watching TNA, trying to figure out just what the hell the girl he actually had a crush on, Scarlette Prescott - Meeks saw in some overconfident, cocky bastard who went by the name Austin Aries.

After a few tries of emulating said guy in the mirror he laughed a little in bitterness and muttered, "I gotta figure out something, hell, Trevor's playing her, he's going to hurt her.. There has to be some way to make her notice me.. I've tried going after Kirby even more than usual but that's getting fucking boring.."

He sank back onto his bed, his mind full of plans, of ways to finally make a damn move.. It was his senior year, if he didn't do it now, he'd probably never see her again, because he was going to go to UCLA in the fall, become a top Hollywood director.


	4. Chapter 4

~CHAPTER 1 PART THREE~

_REQUIEM FOR A NIGHTMARE , CONTINUED, FATHER DAUGHTER BONDING TIME  
_

_(because, damn it, i thought it'd be cute and stuff.. Enjoy, hopefully.)_

_o.0.o_

_"Okay, dad, come on, Christ.. If I don't hurry, there's no telling what will happen with Mom.. It's bad enough I'm sneaking out like this with a killer on the loose that better not be you, old man." Scarlette muttered to herself as she paced around on the side porch of her grandmother's old house, shielding herself against the slight chill in the air._

_Curious about the house, probably wanting to see if it looked as morbid and creepy on the inside as the overgrown outside looked, she found herself peering through the big bay window. She smiled a little as she caught sight of a few pictures on the wall, an ancient baby grand piano sitting in the corner of the living room._

_The naturally curious side of her surfaced and she found herself wanting to play the piano for some reason.. She'd had lessons when she was probably 8, Randy's idea, and she'd actually enjoyed it. She hadn't really played since she'd gotten good at it, better than Jill, who was in the same class as her, so she'd quit so Jill wouldn't be so upset that she was better at something than Jill was._

_After all, back then, the two had been inseperable._

_Lately though, there was a rift there.. Hell, if she really thought about it, it seemed like over the summer, the whole crew had grown apart so to speak._

_Sighing at the saddening thought, she reminded herself, "You're younger, they're just getting ready to leave for college." which of course only reminded her that come next fall, if they all made it out of the massacre alive, Charlie Walker was going to be gone, and she'd probably still have not have told him how she felt about him._

_She looked around quickly, then ducked under the police caution tape across the slightly ajar front door. After making sure she had her knife, her cell phone had decent service and she had the gun hidden in the back of her jeans, she made her way quietly into the parlor where the piano sat._

_Sitting down, she started to play some Cascada song, 'Listen To Your Heart' and singing it.. She didn't realize the time had passed or that her real father, Billy Loomis had shown up until he cleared his throat and said quietly, "Your ma.. She used to play.. She teach you?"_

_Patting the seat beside her, she shook her head no and then said sourly,"No, Randy put me in a class." as she sighed and then asked quietly, "So.. You gonna teach me to shoot this thing, old man?"  
_

_"Hey.. I'm not that old, damn it."_

_"You're gray, daddy."_

_"Yeah?" Billy joked as he nodded to the open back patio door, then asked, "Is your ma... Is she doing any better now?"_

_"No sir.. Nightmares came back, Randy had to take her somewhere, so he said.. He's been with her almost night and day.. But it's okay.. She'll pull out of it, she always does.. It's never been this bad before, but this time, something about that package set her off, dad."_

_"I hated sending that, butterfly."_

_"I know, dad.. But if she never remembers.."_

_"She has to or she's in worse danger than she thinks.. Just curious, where did Randy take her?" Billy asked, filing away the name of the facility for later.. he'd go get her out tonight, he had to. Maybe if he saw her, explained what really happened, and how her mind got it so mixed up..._

_He took the gun from his daughter and then standing behind her said "Okay, butterfly.. Dig those feet in the grass there.. Click safety off.."_

_"Are you sure I should know this?"_

_"Trust me kid, if this gets as bad as I think it will, yeah, you will need to know it.. And another important thing, butterfly.."_

_"Yeah dad?"_

_"If you even think someone's going to hurt you, don't think, just react. Your gut's the only thing that's going to keep you alive." Billy said as he added, "If I'd listened to mine back then.." and stared off down the grassy fenced in back yard quietly._

_"Dad.. It's not your fault."_

_"Oh but it is.. I started it all, trusting the wrong damn guys."_

_He snapped out of it and then said "Okay, you got it off safety, right?"_

_"Yes sir."_

_"Both hands on the grips.. Make sure your feet are planted firmly in the grass, that gun.. It's got one hell of a pull when you squeeze the trigger.. but it's the only one my friend could get for me to give to ya."_

_"Who is your friend?"_

_"You'll meet him." Billy said as he stood behind her and put his arms over his daughters arms, helped her hold the hand gun steady, letting her pull the trigger._

_"Wanna try it yourself?"_

_Scarlette eyed the gun wearily.. She wasn't sure this was a good idea, but her father was right.. Knowing what she knew now, having read the flash drive, seen the pictures, read the real police reports from the killing sprees, she might need the gun sooner or later._

_She hadn't wanted to let Randy take her mother to that facility to see her shrink and try to pull through this latest episode, but she'd had no choice really._

_She didn't want him to suspect anything either._

_"O-okay." she muttered as she raised the gun, aimed at the bale of hay with a Ghost face mask in the center. She squinted and gently squeezed the trigger. The bullet hit the eyehole and the boom echoed for a few seconds, the recoil and the ringing in her ears had her heart racing._

_Nothing she was doing lately was like her, really._

_When they finished with the shooting lesson, she looked at him and said quietly, "I, umm.. I figured you were probably hiding out here, dad.. So I bought some food with me."_

_Billy smiled, ruffled his daughter's brownish blonde hair and said quietly, "You're alone at the house aren't you?"_

_She didn't answer, instead she looked at her feet for a moment then he said with a smile, "I got an idea.. Go back, get some clothes.. We'll pretend we're camping."_

_She thought it over a few moments and then nodded as she said "Well, I did tell them I'd stay with someone if I got scared.. And I got a weird call earlier, dad.."_

_She punched in her voice mail code and held out her cell phone, Billy growled the second he heard the familiar mechanized voice. "And Meeks didn't come home?"_

_"I didn't wanna worry anyone, dad. Besides, I looked at the flash drive you gave me.. And I'm not sure I trust him."_

_"Good girl. Did ya at least tell Riley?"_

_She didn't answer, and Billy groaned as he shook his head then said quietly, "Tomorrow morning, butterfly.. Go to the station before school, tell him."_

_"Yes sir." Scarlette said as she opened a few cans of Spaghettios and then handed her father a spoon, taking one for herself._

_"Seriously?"_

_"What?"_

_"I thought I was the only person on the planet who ate this straight out of the can, cold." Billy said as he smiled at her._

_"Nah. It grosses mom out when I do it, so I do it when she's not home or she's busy writing, or out with Randy."_

_"This is nice." Billy said as he leaned back against the old couch and asked her "So.. What's that you're watchin?"_

_"Professional wrestling. I wanna do that when I graduate and I'm done with school." Scarlette informed her father as Billy looked from the small screen of the phone and then to her and shook his head no firmly, stating, "Oh no... No kid of mine is going to get their head kicked in over and over."_

_"Oh come on, daddy, you do realize it's fake, right?"_

_"Fake it might be, butterfly, but you.. You're my little girl. So that's not something I want for you in life." as he ate his cold spaghettios. He looked at her, it was almost like he could sense her moods as they shifted, changed, and he'd been absent from her life for over half of it._

_Maternal instincts his ass.. Maybe he would have been a damn good father._

_Or, maybe not._

_Either way, he was back now, to make up for all that got messed up back then._

_"When I came in here, you looked like something was buggin ya. What's up?"_

_"There's this guy.. And I've liked him a long time. No, let me correct that, I love him, I think.. But anyways, he's a senior and .."_

_Billy grumbled and shook his head, pretended to hum as he said "Dad doesn't think he wants to hear the rest of it.. Did you talk to your mom about it?"_

_"Yeah, and she told me that if it's supposed to happen, it will, eventually.. But I'm not really a patient person and.. This other girl, Kirby, she's all wrong for him, but she hates me, so she tries to get with him.. What makes this all worse is that he's sort of my best friend too and.. It's just fucked up, daddy."_

_"It sounds like it, butterfly." Billy mused as he added, "But your mom's right.. If it's meant to happen, eventually, it will. Maybe you should kinda distance yourself from this guy, see what happens?"_

_She thought it over, biting her lip as she nodded and then said "Thanks, daddy.. "_

_"Anything, butterfly." Billy muttered as he tossed her a sleeping bag and said "It's 10 pm.. You have to get up early, school and you're going to take that phone to Officer Riley."_

_She nodded and after spreading the blanket out, she stopped beside him, hesitated a moment before leaning down to kiss his forehead._

_As she lie there, trying to sleep, she tried to convince herself that this was real and nobody could really be trusted right now.._

_But he was her father, he wouldn't hurt her, right?_


End file.
